Students taking admission in Patna University from the next academic session will have to dedicate more hours to college than what their seniors had put in.

The varsity administration has decided to increase the teaching-learning module per class by 15 minutes. Classes in all undergraduate and postgraduate courses will now be of one-hour duration.

University vice-chancellor Shambhu Nath Singh said: “The 15-minute increase per class is a way to narrow down the teacher shortage gap at the university level.”

The administration took the step after university students’ welfare board and examination board approved it.

Singh added that according to recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission and University Grants Commission, the teaching-learning module for student per class should be of one-hour duration. All premier universities in the country follow the one-hour module, he said.

The VC added that the university is running with just half the faculty strength, one of the reasons behind the change in timing. He said: “If a teacher takes a one-hour class, he would get more time to complete the syllabus.” However, the increase in time of class duration has nothing to do with more hours a teacher has to spend in the college.

According to UGC guidelines, there are different teaching hours for assistant professors, associate professors and professors. Assistant professors have to put in 18 hours of teaching in a week, while associate professors and professors have to give 14 hours of teaching in the same duration.

V.S. Dubey, a geology teacher at the university, said: “The new timing will create a problem in fixing the routine because there are many departments in the university, which run classes from a single room on rotation.”

Students, on the other hand, reacted differently over the new decision.

Niranjan Kumar, a student of Patna Science College, said: “There are many boring topics in science subjects, which are not much important. If a student has to dedicate more hours in the college, it would be difficult for them to prepare for competitive examinations.”

Vishal Kumar, another student of Patna Science College, however, welcomed the decision. He said: “It would help us in completing the syllabus.”